Third stage runner Daniel Talbot took the baton perfectly and gave Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake the chance to run for gold.

As Talbot visibly screamed his team-mate on Mitchell-Blake held off the formidable Christian Coleman, unaware of Bolt's plight, and secured a historic gold for Britain.

A distraught Bolt was consoled on the ground by his sprint team-mates and he limped out of the stadium, not the way he probably envisaged his send-off going.

Bolt has spoken about how the World Championships would be his last races but speculation persists that he may reverse his decision, with this result doing nothing to dampen that.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica is joined by teammmates Tyquendo Tracey, Julian Forte and Michael Campbell after falling in the Men's 4x100 Relay final during day nine of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 12, 20Getty Images

The problem Bolt faces is that he will be 33 in the next Olympics and as tonight shows his body is already starting to struggle.